Danish Family Released by Somali Pirates

Even 300 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia, private sailing vessels can be hijacked by pirates.  Four US citizens were killed in February 2011 during a failed rescue attempt.  A few days later, a Danish family of five with children under 16 and two crew members on the sailing boat Ing were taken hostage.

When you've shared the same anchorages with people just living the dream of sailing around the world and suddenly they become hostages or are killed by Somali pirates, the horror of piracy comes close to home.  Our family has been anxiously monitoring news of the Danish family, Qvist Johansen from Ing.

Today we are celebrating news of their release after six months.  Link to news.

The Gulf of Aden is a major shipping route.  With the Somali pirates extending their reach 300 nautical miles from their coastline and the fact that the country has not had a functioning government since 1991, it is hard to believe that most people are completely unaware hundreds of people remain hostages in Somalia.  Perhaps some of the millions that go in aid to Somalia could be used to protect the safety of private and commercial ships attempting to enter the Gulf of Aden.  What do you think?